Just when you think that things in the kickboxing world couldn't get any crazier after the sale of K-1 earlier today, Giorgio Petrosyan has officially had to withdraw from It's Showtime's Fast and Furious 70kg MAX tournament. The Fast and Furious tournament is easily the top tournament set to happen in 2011 in the kickboxing world, featuring talent like Andy Souwer, It's Showtime Champion Chris Ngimbi, Artur Kyshenko, Gago Drago, Chahid and more. Petrosyan and Souwer were the early favorites in the tournament, but it appears that Petrosyan's Achilles Heel has struck again.

For the past two years Petrosyan has been having a nagging problem with his hand, breaking it at the 2009 K-1 World MAX tournament, which put him out of action for a while, then re-aggravating it during the 2011 K-1 World MAX tournament. Now it appears during his fight with HINATA last week that Petrosyan has once again injured his hand, as we reported, and will have to withdraw from the It's Showtime tournament.

It's Showtime released an official announcement earlier today, stating that Petrosyan would not be ready to fight until November as he is recovering from surgery. It's Showtime officials are working to find a suitable replacement, but Andy Souwer's stock in this tournament just shot through the roof. [source]